Seven Cs of Consulting, The: The Seven Cs of Consulting

by Mick Cope

CLIENT, CLARIFY, CREATE, CHANGE, CONFIRM, CONTINUE, CLOSE = THE SEVEN SECRETS OF CONSULTANCY

"Most change methods are effective. For the most part, each one is theoretically sound, well-researched, and clearly articulated. But when they're put in organizations, they fail-at least 70 to 80% of the time".

George Smart, Managing Partner, Strategic Development Incorporated

The definition of a consultant is someone who facilitates organisational change and provides expertise on technical, functional and business topics during development or implementation. In other words a consultant is someone who helps others to change. 

However, change isn�t such an easy target to achieve. Research shows that the vast majority of change programmes fail. On a daily basis we hear about projects that are delayed, cancelled, over budget or boycotted by the end user.  The problem is that we can never force people to change - remember the backlash against Jamie Oliver�s healthy school meals campaign where parents handed junk food to their children through school fences. The key to successful change is to engage with the end user and help them want to change.

The Seven Cs of Consulting offers a consistent and collaborative language that helps both consultant and client deliver value through sustainable change. Based around the author�s highly successful 7Cs model (Client, Clarify, Create, Change, Confirm, Continue, Close) this approach is simple and accessible but firmly grounded in research and real life experience.

The 7Cs approach opens up the complexity of sustainable change to the consultant and client and helps them explore- and then avoid - the real issues that cause change to fail within a more professional and trusting relationship.

Genres: Business, Self Help

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2000

Reviews

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buzz-buzz, buzz-buzz! The consultants are here!

7C: Client-Clatify-Change-Confirm-Continue-Close...

-D-E dissonance
- cockpit confirm
- OUTCOME testing
- three-legged stool: Client-Consultant-Consumer
- head-heart negotiation: Head (Think: Choice Criteria, Content, Self-image, World map, Mental models) - Heart (Feel: Motivation, Personal Goals, Willingness to choose, Attitude, Desire) - Hand (Behave: Action, Behaviour, Language, Skills, Relationships)
- divergent scanning
and other buzz-wordy goodness.

Nice (if pointless) models.

[Michael Piecez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty dry but actually was super helpful in setting up my independent consultancy. Thanks for this!

[Marcus Goncalves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can be a little dry but overall a very useful book. Solid overview of consulting that is a great read for any young professional starting out but suitable for all levels of the profession. It is really 80% of a psychology book though, and less of a how to manual.

[PMP · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book belongs to a category of books I read in desperation when I would have considered anything, even consulting, to break the bond. Who writes books that classifies anything into seven's? Who publishes them? Who actually reads them? Lent by Roland, who has broken his bond.

[Jordan Lewis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seven C's substitutes frameworks and generalizations for insight, the result of too broad a scope ("Consulting") and a lack of personal narrative voice. Consuming 100 pages was a joyless chore with limited specific takeaway value.

[Marianne Mullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of the consulting process. Lots of strategies and tools. Seemed a bit dense at times but overall really liked it